Cigar bunch forming



Nov. 20, 19.34. R. E. RUNDELL I-CIGAR BUNCH FORMING Filed Oct. 22, 19304 Sheets-Sheet 1 lNVE I OR B ATTORNEY n NOV. 20, 1934. I R. E N E L1,981,469

CIGAR BUNCH FORMING Filed Oct. 22, 1950- 4 Sheets- Sheet 2 r TTORNEYNov. 20, 1934.

R. E. RUNDELL CIGAR BUNCH FORMING R. E. RUNDELL CIGAR BUNCH FORMING 4Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed 001;. 22, 1930 ATTORN EY Patented Nov. 20, 1934 isma9 UNITED STTES l 'i ENT error.-

CIGAR BUNCH FORMING Rupert E. Randell, Rockville Center, N. 1 assignorto International Cigar Machinery Company, a corporation of New JerseyApplication ember 22, 1930, Serial No. 490,51

13 Claims. (Cl. 131---5) a general object or" providing an improvedmachine for this purpose, although many of the features of this methodand apparatus are applicable to other types of cigars as will beapparentirom what follows.

For the above purpose it is one object of the in-' vention to provide amethod and apparatus for permanently forming the charge of fillertobacco, prior to the enclosing of the same in a binder or wrapper. Thisis of importancebecause the Toscani cigars as well as many other typesare tapered toward each end and are circular in cross section. "When therolling belt in which charges are originally enclosed in a binder isrelied on to the charge, the strain on the belt has been found to besuch that the belt rapidly stretches and wears to the extent that itbecomes useless and must be frequently replaced. To the end of avoidingthis it is also an object of the invention to provide charge shapingmechanism which forms the charge to final permanent cigar form on allsides and full length instead of at the ends only or on two or threesides only as has generally been the case in prior devices.

Shaping full length results in transfer difficulties since bunches haveheretofore been transferred by gripping a charge at an open space at themiddle of the charge between shaping members acting on the ends only ofthe cigar. To overcome this dimculty and also to make the shaperpractical for very moist sticky tobacco such as commonly used forToscani cigars it is one of the principal objects of the invention toproduce a shaper which is self stripping and which also by action of itsown shaping parts, self ejecting. For this purpose the shaper partsacting on one side of the cigar and embracing that path of the cigar areparted and the shaper part acting on the other half of the cigar isgiven a motion which ejects the charge between the separated shaperparts. Since the shaper parts are separated along a straight line atright angles to the charge compressing movement of the other shaperpart, that part holds the charge in the middle while the separated partsare automatically stripped away from it.

Another feature of the invention isthe construction of the chargeshaping mechanism so that it will work satisfactorily on quite loose orquite moist or even semi-liquid material. Thus relatively movableconfining walls are provided iorfirst reducing the width ofthe charge toa width approximately equal to that of the cl ar to be formed andconfine the charge in the range of action of the shapers which thenwhile the charge is still confined compress it to the final shape of thedesired cigar. Thus it is an object of the invention to confine thecharge against squeezing out from between the main shaper parts. Stillanother object is to provide for transferring tobacco materials such asabove mentioned satisfactorily by ejecting it from the bottom of afiller charge separating compartment into the shaper and then positivelyejecting the charge downwardly from the shaper into the Chianti belt orother binder applying means.

While the term charge is often used to refer only to filler before it isbound into a bunch, the present invention is byno means applicable onlyto a loose charge but may be used to shape an unformed charge Whether ornot said charge is surrounded by a binder and accordingly as used all inthe claims a charge refers either to an unbound charge or a charge whichconsists of a filler surrounded by some sort of a binder, unlessotherwise specified.

With these and other objects not specifically mentioned in View, theinvention consists in cer-' tain. constructions and combinations whichwill be hereinafter fully described and then specifically set forth inthe claims hereunto appended. In the accompanying drawings in which likecharacters of referenceindicate the same or like parts and which formapart of this specification, Fig. l is a side elevation of a Toscanicigar machine constructed in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2, isan end elevation partly broken away of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1;Fig. 3 is a plan view of the'machine shown in-Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 4: isa detail side elevation partly in section and partly broken away ofcertain mechanism shown in Figs. 1 and 2; Figs. 5 and 6 are detailsectional side elevation of parts shown in Figs; 1 and 2; Figs. '7 to 10are sectional end elevations of parts shownin Figs. 1 and 2 andillustrating the several steps in the operation performed by the machinein forming the bunch. In carrying the invention to efiect there isprovided a filler feeding device, means for enclosing a charge of fillerwithina binder of the usual type and mechanism between said device andsaid means for giving the charge permanent cigar form before it isenclosed within this binder, so that when bound or wrapped the bunch orcigar formed will be of cigar shape Without relying on the binding orwrapping means or a loo - ported by the bracket 16.

later shaping operation to produce the final cigar shape. In the bestconstructions said mechanism includes a form for shaping one side of thecharge, a second form for shaping the other 7 side of the charge andmeans cooperating with said forms toreceive a charge of tobacco whichmay be .of a loose or semi-liquid character and confine it in the rangeof action of the forms as the forms compress the charge into desiredshape. Preferably the lower of said forms is separable into two partsand means is provided for giving the plunger a further movement afterthe parts are separated to eject the shaped charge into the means forenclosing the charge in a binder or wrapper.

The method employed in carrying the invention into effect consists indepositing sufficient filler for onexcharge on a table then confiningthe filler at two opposite sides in a space of approximately-cigar widthand then while the charge is still confined within said spacecompressing and shaping the confined filler at its other two sides.Preferably the space in which the filler is confined at two oppositesides is of cigar shaped cross section.

The various means and steps referred to may be varied widelywithin thescope of the claims for those particular ones selected to illustrate theinvention are but one'of many possible concrete embodimentsof the-same.The invention therefore is not to, be restricted to the precise detailsof the structure shown and described.

Referring to Figs." 1- to 4, the chargeforming mechanismis mounted on abase 11 which is supported from the machine bed by pedestals 12, 13 and1 l,'the latter being attached to the side of base 11 by a long bracket15. The filler feed shown in Figs. 3 and 4 is mounted on the base 11 andthe bracketlfi of the cigar machine.

A narrow stream of filler tobacco T is fed by hand into the channelformed by a horizontal bottom belt 17, a top belt 18, and vertical sidebelts 19 and 20. The bottom belt l'l is guided by a pulley 21 and otherpulleys not shown, sup- The top belt 18 is guided by pulleys 22 and 23mounted on studs 24 attached to the base 11 by a bracket 25, and by apulley 26 and other pulleys not shown carried in bracket 16. The sidebelts 19 and 20 run over pulleys 2'7 and 28 mounted on the base 11 andover other pulleys not shown. Filler tobacco T is advanced in the formof a continuous narrow stream by the feed belts and on its forwardmotion is supported by the bottom plate 29.

On entering the cutting chamber 30, the stream of filler is separatedinto charge lengths by the filler cutoff unit. This unit consists of thebase 11, --a;vertical' slide 31, an operating lever 32 attached to theslide by means of the link 33, and a stationaryledger plate 34 fixed tothe base 11. The base 11 supports slideways 35 for the knife slide 31carrying the cutter blade 36, and also supports brackets 37 and 38supporting the shaft 39 on which the operating lever 32 is fulcrumed.The lever 32 is actuated by an adjustable rod 40 connected to a camlever 41 which, by means of a roller 42, engages with a cam 43 mountedon the shaft 44 of the cigar machine.

To the slideways 35 are attached brackets 15 and 45 which supportvertical strips 46, forming a continuation of the filler feed side belts19 and 20, and also forming the walls of a chamber of which thehorizontal gates 47 form the bottom.

The sliding plunger 31 which pushes the charge through the bottom of thechamber carries an adjustable plate 43 which engages with and opens thegates 47 as the knife 36 descends, depositing the separated charge onthe table as, the torsion springs 50 closing the gates 47 as the knifeascends and lifts the plate 48.

For the purpose of giving the charge permanent form, and as illustratedpermanent full formed cigar shape, the charge is pushed sideways alongthe table into the range of action of shaping mechanism by a movableconfining wall of cigar shaped contour operated by levers 52 attaohedtoboth sides of wall 51 by means of the links 53. These operating levers52 are pivotally mounted on a shaft 54 having lever arm 55, said shaftbeing supported by brackets 56 on bed 57 of the cigar machine. The leverarm is actuated by an adjustable rod 58 joined to a cam lever 59engaging, by means of a roller 60,

with a cam 61 on the shaft 44 of the cigar ma chine. The cam lever 59 ismounted on a shaft 62 in brackets 63 projecting from bed 5'7. Themovable confining wall 51 is guided so as to slide along the table 49 bythe rods 64 held in its ends and sliding in holes in bracket 45 at oneside and in holes in the stationary confining wall 65' at the other.This confining wall 65, like the opposite movable confining wall 51 isof cigar shaped contour so that when the'latter Wall is at its innerposition filler is confined in a space the width of the desired cigarand of cigar shaped crosssection. The wall 65 is supported by a bracket66 attached to one side of bracket 15, and by a bracket 67 fastened tothe side of the base 11.

After having confined the filler charge as above described, the movablewall 51 continues to confine the charge during the operation of theshaping form or plunger 68, and in its rest position also serves as aguide for the motion of the upper form 69 which is of half cigar shapeand is also of cigar shaped cross-section to fit the space be- The lowerform is split longitudinally in two 45 and 66, and on the other side bya bar 8? extending between the brackets 45 and 85.

In charge compressing and shaping position, the lower form parts 78 and79 are positively held in place by two adjusting screws 88 project ingfrom the brackets 39 attached to the movable shaper form 51 in such amanner that, whenthe 1 form is in'the closed position, the screws 88engage with the sliding table 49, thereby pushing the parts '78 and 79together, as shown inFig. 5. The parts 78 and'79 have a simultaneousmotion which is produced by the movement of crank g,

levers 90'which are mounted on studs 91 and are supported on both sidesof the sliding tables 49 and 80 by the stationary brackets 66 and 85,and are attached to brackets 83 and 92 by the connecting links 93.

means of The opening of the lower shaper parts '78 and 2'9 is effectedby the sliding table 19, having extension rods 94, which are providedwith heads 95 at their ends, passing through holes drilled horizontallyin the brackets 89 of the movable shaper jaw 51 so that, when the lattermoves outward, the brackets 89 slide on the rods 94 until they engagethe heads 95 and pull thev mold table e9 with them, thereby opening theparts 78 and '79 and permitting the shaped charge B to be ejected, byfurther movement of the plunger shaper 68, into the positioning cage 96from which it finally reaches the rolling table.

The cage 96, which retains the charge in desired position upon theChianti belt or rolling apron while being transferred to the rollingtable, is actuated from the slide 31 by means of vertical rods 97 whichthrough guides 98 and which are connected with horizontal rods 99 byconecting heads 100, the rods 99 being supported by a block 101 attachedto the slide 31.

When a formed charge B has been ejected into the cage 96, a transfer arm102 elevates the rollposition, when the charge caught in the bight ofthe cage 96, winch cage is reset by the slide 31.

. Arm 102 is mounted upon the upper end of the rod 104 sliding in abracket 1G5 mounted on the bed '7. The rod 104 is prevented from turningby a guide rod 106 attached to the arm 102 and sliding through a hole inthe bed 57. The lower end of the rod 164 is connected with a cam leverby a rod 108 and actuated from a cam 109 by means of a roller 110 mountd on the lever 107 which is fulcrumcd on the stud 111 supported by theracket 112 from bed 57.

The improved machine is provided with a moistening mechanism, whichprevents the charge from sticking in the molds during the shape formingoperation. For this purpose, the charge forming unit is provided, uponthe stationary wall 65, with a sponge 113 which is moistened by waterflowing down a pipe 114 connected to a waterpot 115 attached to a base11. Figs. 5 6 show the arrangement of the moistener mechanism ascombined with the charge stripng unit. The plunger 68 carries thecompression springs 116 which press down the pins 117 upon the spongetop plate 118 when they are engaged in the lower position of plunger 68.

The charge releasing unit consists of the stripper pins 119 connected toeach other by the plate 120 and held in place by their weight, and ofthe stripper cam 121 mounted on shaft 122 supported by the bracket 123projecting from the stationary wall 65. When the plunger 68 movesdownward, it carries the adjustable stop-screw 12-4 into engagement withthe stripper cam 121 at the time when the stripper plate 120 arrivesunder t -e tip 125 of a cam 121, the latter pushing the stripper platedown whereby the charge is stripped from the upper shaper 69. When theplunger 68 then goes up, the stripper cam is reset by a spring 126extending between the studs 1 7.

In Figs. 7 to 10 the parts are shown in their four main positions. Theoperation is as follows: The filler tobacco T, Fig. 7, in the cuttingchamber is held in place by the gates 4'. until the knife 36 hasseparated from the narrow tobacco strip of filler, a charge length,which charge length then is pushed down by the plunger 31 upon the table19, as shown in Fig. 8. As soon i faces. Arriving at the position shown.in Fig. .9,-

the charge T is pressed into full formed cigar shape between the shaperforms 51 and by the plunger 68. Following this movement, the lowershaper parts 78 and '79 are pulled apart, and the shaped charge B isreleased by the stripping pins'ilg and falls into the positioning cage96 on the portion of the rolling apron 103 which lies over the transferarm 102, as shown in Fig. 10. The transfer arm 102 then moves downward,followed by the positioning cage 96 which, on reaching its lowermostposition, is given a rapid upward movement so that the bight formingroller 128 can come into action, rolling'the' charge on the rollingtable 129. The charge by this time having the required tapered shape,the rolling apron in the case of the Tosca-hi cigar i1- lustrated isonly required to fit the paste covered binder tightly around the same,instead of squeezing an unshaped charge into shape, while binding it, asit was required to do heretofore.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with azfzller feeding device, of means for enclosinga charge of filler within a binder, and mechanism bet veen device andsaid means for giving the charge permanent cigar form before it enclosedwithin its binder including members having surfaces with contour of acigar with tapered ends, saiddevicc including a compartment above saidmechanism for receiving a bunch charge, said compartment hav ing a gateforming its bottom and a plunger op" erating to push the charge throughthe bottom v of the compartment into said mechanism.

2. The combination with a filler feeding device,

of means for enclosing a charge of filler within a binder, and mechanismbetween said device and said means for giving the charge permanent.

cigar form before it is enclosed within its binder, said mechanismincluding compiemeictal charge shaping forms including one f n forshaping one side of the charge and a pair of forms co operating to shapethe other side of the c arge,

means for moving the one form and the pair of forms together to compr ssand shape the charge between them, and means for moving each form ofsaid pair sidewise relative to the line of com pressing movement toseparate the pair of forms and automatically strip the charge therefrom.

3. The combination with a filler feeding device,

of means for enclosing a charge of filler within a binder, and mechanismbetween said device and said means for giving the charge permanent cigarform before it is enclosed withinits binder, said mechanism comprisingseparable charge shaping forms, a shaping plunger movable toward theforms to compress the charge, and means for separating the forms andgiving the plunger a further movement to eject the shaped charge intosaid means. I

4. Charge shaping means for cigar machines, comprising a form forshaping one side of the charge, a second form for shaping the other sidethe range of action of said forms, one of said forms beinglongitudinally split two parts, and

means for separating the parts sidewise relative to the direction ofcompressing action, of'the other form to automatically strip the chargefrom said parts. i

5. Charge shaping means for cigar machines,

' comprising a form for shaping one'side of the charge, a second formfor shaping the other side ofthe charge, mechanism for moving said formstoward and away from each other to compress and shape the charge, meanscooperating with said forms to receive the charge and confine it in therange of action of said forms, one of said forms, being longitudinallysplit into two parts,

of the charge, and a pair of forms arranged to act together to embraceand shape the other half of the charge, means for moving the forms tocompress and shape th charge, and means for reciprocating each form ofsaid pair along straight line paths in a transverse direction relativeto the direction of compressing movement to successively separate the.pair of forms, and automatically strip the charge therefrom.

'7. In a cigar machine, the combination with mechanism for giving acharge of tobacco permanent form, of means for supplying a narrow streamof filler tobacco, acompartrnenthavinga gate in its bottom in alignmentwith the forward endof said stream, devices for separating a charge insaid compartment from the stream, and means for moving the chargethrough the bottom of said compartment into said mechanism."

8. In a cigar machine, the combination with mechanism for giving acharge of tobacco permanent form, of means for supplying a narrow streamof filler tobacco, a compartment having a gate in its bottom inalignment with the forward end of said stream, devices for separating acharge in said compartment from the stream, and means for moving thecharge through the bottom of said compartment into said mechanism, meansfor applying a wrapper or hinder to the charge,

said mechanism including devices for ejecting the shaped charge directlyinto the applying means.

9.111 a cigar machine, the combination with means for applying a binderto a charge of tobacco, of three shaping forms having relative coactingmovement to compress and, shape a charge between them, and means forseparating two of said forms and giving an added movement to the otherof said forms to eject the charge into said means.

10. In a cigar machine, the combination with means for applying a binderto a charge of tobacco, of three shaping forms having relative coactingmovement to compress and shape .a charge between them, means forseparating two of said forms and giving an added movement 'to the otherof said forms to eject the charge into said binder applying means, andstripping elements mounted on the other ejecting form for movement intothe form to strip the bunch therefrom. i

11. In a cigar machine, the combination with means for applying a binderto a charge of tobacco, of three shaping forms having relative coactingmovement to compress and shape a. charge between them, means forseparating two of said forms and giving an added movement to the otherof said forms to eject the charge into said means, and moisteningdevices for moistening the shaping surfaces of said forms.

12. In a cigar machine, the combination with means for applying a binderto a charge of tobacco, of three shaping forms having relative coactingmovement to compress and shape a charge between them, means forseparating two of said forms and giving an added movement to the otherof said forms to eject the charge into said means, said applying meansincluding a Chianti belt toward which the charge is ejected, means forforming a bight in the Chianti belt about said charge, and a positioningdevice for maintaining the charge in a predetermined position relativeto the Chianti belt until the bight

